Monday, 20 June 2011

Ask and you shall receive ChocolateMission fanatics :D If you have been checking out the site for the last few weeks you will not doubt have seen that the Hotel Chocolat Monday's have been in full flow. Feedback in those reviews has often come in the form of further requests - a notable sum of them being calls for me to review the rest of the Knickerbocker Glory range. The first variant I reviewed from this range did very well on the ChocolateMission rating system (See Hotel Chocolat Knickerbocker Glory Neopolitan review HERE), so further joys were expected from both these Peach Melba and Mint Choc Chips flavours.

Just as with the Neopolitans, both of these came in 110.0g packets that comprised of ten truffles in each. I'm sure you will agree, the presentation of both was very impressive. The Peach Melba truffles aesthetically caught the eye with their vivid bright pink outer shells. The Mint Choc Chip ones were more notable for their forthcoming minty scents that emerged as the plastic packet was split.

Below are my thoughts on each - my taste testing helper panel this time consisted of various family members.

Hotel Chocolat Knickerbocker Glory Mint Choc Chip - 'Mint ganache covered in dark chocolate with dark chocolate chips'. For some reason or other (i.e. I have no idea why!?), Hotel Chocolat don't seem to offer the broadest selection of chocolate mint products. Their Hotel Chocolat Midnight Mint Collection impressed in the past, however if you think about just how many truffle collections of their's I have tried, it is a little puzzling why their seems to be such a limited amount. Believe me, this all becomes increasingly more puzzling when they prove they can make truffles like these, which were simply nothing short of outstanding. The 70.0% dark chocolate which coated each truffle substantiated coffee noted unsweetened cocoa flavours from the outset and these shells were the perfect foil for the utterly gorgeous minty fillings below. Exceeding all expectations, the peppermint ganache was smooth on the tongue, creamy and had just about the right level of mintyness. These two contrasting elements made for an altogether sensational flavour experience which was loved by one and all. Chocolate mint fans - this is your ecstasy!!

9.1 out of 10

---------Hotel Chocolat Knickerbocker Glory Peach Melba - 'Peach ganache in white chocolate, coated in raspberry powder and icing sugar'. Whenever the words Hotel Chocolat and any sort of fruit get mentioned in our household there is always a great deal of interest shown. Being a lover of peaches ("the flesh not the skin" so she tells me at every given opportunity :D), my mother was hugely keen on trying these so I didn't deny her the pleasure. To be honest it's lucky for Hotel Chocolat that I did draft her in to help me here, as I personally didn't find these to my taste. Personally I wasn't keen on the make up of the outer shells, as I thought the icing sugar and raspberry dusting were somewhat uncessary. Indeed they added colour to the truffles, but for me they changed the usual taste of Hotel Chocolat white chocolate which I thought this time was more intensely sugary. My mother was undeterred by this of course and was more focused on the peach filling which by all means was very tasty. It delivered contributions of peachy fruit and cream in equal measures - the minor tartness of the peach was highlight and didn't at least temper the sweetness of the chocolate partially.

8.2 out of 10

Overall these were both good standard truffles, though for me the Mint Choc Chip really stood out as something special. All three of these Hotel Chocolat Knickbocker Glory flavours have been pretty good and I would suggest you give them a try if any of the flavours whet the appetite. I'm now heading off to hide the rest of the Mint Choc Chips ones from wondering hands :D